We sat down on the curb of the sidewalk as we introduced ourselves. I told him my name and that I recently moved in to be closer to my school, while he told me he had been living there since he could remember and that he now lived alone with his dad since his mother left them.

‘So what are your dreams?’ I asked him as the conversation flowed.

‘My father wants me to be a singer’

‘What a coincidence!’ I said excitedly ‘I’m studying music to one day become a music producer. You must sing for me, I must hear more of your voice.’

'Now?' he asked

'Sure, why not?'

His ears turned red as he fidgeted, took a deep breath and gathering what courage he had, he began to sing.

              Birds of a feather flock together

             Bound to their chains

            That flows through their veins

His voice was soft and clear, a gentleness that almost seemed saddening riveted through the air as he closed his eyes.

            Bird of a feather flocked together

            Sang from his heart

            Notes behind bars

I lost count of time as I sat there staring at him, his voice was mesmerising and I wanted to hear more.

‘That’s all I have so far’ he said meekly

‘That was beautiful’ I replied, but something was tugging at me still, ‘When I asked you your dreams, you said your father wanted you to be a singer, now tell me your dreams, your own ones.’

 Once more he began to fidget, his eyes glued to the ground as there were something of extreme fascination before him and when he was done, he looked at me with what looked like an expression of uncertainty and said ‘freedom’.

Before I could ask him to elaborate my phone began to chime as my alarm, quite loudly, indicated that I was going to be late. Forgoing my intended exercise I quickly bid farewell to Luhan, leaving him sitting on the curb, watching as I began frantically running home to change. However, as I reached the apartment block’s door I thought to myself ‘it would be awesome if I could collaborate with Luhan and make some music together’. But as I turned around to ask him, he was no longer there; all trace of him disappeared.

‘Boy he’s a fast runner.’